March saw hundreds of publishers and agents take part in London Book Fair, and this month we're delighted to welcome literary agent Jo Bell to the RNA blog. Amongst other things, Jo will be chatting to Helena Fairfax about her experiences at LBF.
Welcome to the blog, Jo, and thanks for dropping in!
Please tell us a little about the Bell Lomax
Moreton Agency, how long it’s been established, and how you became involved in
setting it up.
Family is very much at the heart of the Bell Lomax Moreton Agency. My
parents, Eddie and June Bell founded the agency in 2000, a natural transition
following Eddie’s highly successful career in publishing as Chairman and CEO of
HarperCollins publishers. Today the
agency is run by Paul Moreton, my brother-in-law, who also comes from a strong publishing
background as head of Children’s Sales at Penguin Books. After years of learning my trade, from gate-crashing author dinner parties at home, being a sales rep in central London,
working at HarperCollins as Children’s Sales Director and UK Sales Director for
Parragon Books, the call of agency life led me to join the family business in
early 2016.
What genres do you represent?
At the Bell Lomax Moreton Agency we are encouraged to work on passion
projects, authors that we enjoy reading, talking about and spending time with. For me this covers many genres from contemporary
romance, women’s fiction, crime, thrillers & suspense, and humour. I also love a strong inspirational voice with
a passionate story to tell, whether that be a real life story or one in a
fictional setting.
What
is it you are looking for when a manuscript lands on your desk? Are there any
specific plots or themes you’d like to see?
When I’m reading a
manuscript, it’s the whole package that I’m interested in. Firstly, I’m keen to grasp an understanding
of who the author is, then I’ve got to be instantly intrigued by the idea or
story, and finally I’ve got to enjoy the writing, not just from the beginning
of the story but right through until the final word.
Do
you ever find authors outside the slush pile? If so, how?
Yes, we do! We often read and
attend creative writing course anthology launches and prizes. It’s a great way to meet new authors and get
a sneak peek at their work too.
You attended the London Book Fair this month. What
was your role at the Book Fair and how important is this event for you and your
agency?
All our agents at the agency attend the London Book Fair. We talk to
editors about our authors, sell their stories and continue to build
relationships with publishers. Attending
fairs is a great way to showcase the authors we represent. It is one of the many
important roles within agency life.
What advice would you give someone submitting to you?
Sell yourself as an author, pinpoint your story’s heart concisely, and
ensure your cover letter/email is the shop window to your writing.
What’s your favourite romance novel of all time?
The Thorn Birds by Collen McCullough. I read it again recently and got
totally lost in the forbidden love story and the vast sweeping landscape of the
Australian setting.
Apart from your own authors, which book have you enjoyed
the most in the past twelve months, and why?
The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani. I know this book has been published for a few
years now, but I only managed to read it towards the end of last year and I
devoured it! Adriana Trigiani’s writing
just makes my heart happy and sometimes that, to me, is what reading is all
about.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love spending time with family and friends, pretending to be a runner
and walking our standard schnauzer Reggie (you never quite know what he’ll get
up to next!).
If you could describe your working-day in just
three words, what would they be?
An inspiring adventure!
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Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Jo, and for your thoughtful answers.(We love your dog's name!)If you've enjoyed Jo's interview, or have any questions or comments at all, please let us know. We'd love to hear from you!
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Thank you, Helena and Jo, for a most interesting interview.
If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
2 comments:
Thank you Jo and Helena for a very informative interview.
Great interview. I love The Thornbirds too. Now I'll have to check out The Supreme Macaroni Company!
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